Castro: We aren't afraid...

Of all the silly things, petty things, the Bush administration has done during its reign here’s one that was as unnecessary as it gets. Then again, when it comes to striking a pose to throw a bone to one of its rabid constituencies, the White House rarely misses the chance. So, Cuba's baseball team is being prevented by Bush's Treasury Dept. from playing in Major League Baseball’s World Classic, set to begin in March.

One must assume it's being done to protect the National Pastime from the spread of communism. But if its about being communists, what about China, one of the other national teams in the tournament? Then again, what chance does China stand in the field? Hmm...

Which, of course, has given the old southpaw himself, Fidel Castro, another opportunity to crack wise, hoping to make America look foolish, even cowardly. This AP story will catch you up on what remains of the Cold War in some minds.

"'...We aren't afraid of anything,' Castro said in a wide-ranging speech late Tuesday. 'It's very difficult to compete against us in any area ... not even in baseball do they want to compete with Cuba.'

"Castro's comments appeared to refer to the inaugural World Classic, a 16-team tournament scheduled for March 3-20 and organized by Major League Baseball and its players' union. The U.S. Treasury Department last month denied MLB's application for Cuba to play its scheduled first-round games in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory. Later rounds are to be played on the U.S. mainland."

Castro photo from latinamericanstudies.org